1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to arm rests, and more particularly pertains to arm rests designed and adapted to provide comfortable support for the arms of drivers and passengers in vehicles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous patents have been granted on arm rest constructions wherein the same are attachable to vehicle doors, thereby to provide support for the arms of drivers and passengers. Most of these devices are relatively complicated and expensive in construction, and are not capable of being produced economically so as to be commercially feasible.
However, several arm rests have been developed which are relatively simple in design although they have apparently never been commercially developed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,695,549 which issued to J. Hausler on Dec. 18, 1928, discloses an adjustable arm rest for automobiles which essentially comprises a strip of sheet metal that includes a bent portion formed into the shape of a flange. The flange essentially forms a hook which is of a suitable size and shape to fit over the lower molding of a vehicle window. The opposed end of the rest is bent upwardly into a concave shape to form a support for the arm of a person seated in the vehicle. While being functional for its intended use, it can be appreciated that the Hausler arm rest is designed for attachment directly to a door molding so as to be located at a fixed height relative to a vehicle passenger or driver. In this regard, the hook design on the arm rest does not permit its attachment to other components within the vehicle, such as an edge of the vehicle window or the like.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 1,756,694, which issued to H. Loehr on Apr. 29, 1930, addresses the construction of a padded arm rest which is also directly attachable to the vehicle door molding. The arm rest construction shown in this patent is substantially complex and expensive to manufacture, and requires the use of threaded fasteners to effect a desired attachment of the rest to the door molding structure. As such, no provision is made for facilitating adjustable movement of the arm rest in either horizontal or vertical directions.
There has been some recognition of the need for adjustable movement of an arm rest, as evidenced in U.S. Pat. No. 1,706,634, which issued to C. Seils on Mar. 26, 1929. The arm rest shown in this reference is also attachable to the door molding through the use of threaded fasteners, while the arm support portion is mounted on a swivel assembly to facilitate limited adjustable movement. However, no provision is made for substantial vertical or horizontal repositioning to accommodate the desires of a user.
As such, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for new and improved arm rests utilizable in vehicles, wherein such arm rests can be adjustably moved to various vertical and horizontal positions to thus accommodate the desires of a user. In this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.